FEBRUARY 2025 MEETING

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Our next meeting is on Wednesday 19th February 2025 in the Church Hall, Butts Rd, SN4 0NN at 7.30 p.m. when the subject is “The River at War” presented by Bill King. Bill will tell us why the River Thames had such a strategic role to play in World War 2. Between 1940 and 1945 London suffered 253 night-time raids and 101 daytime raids by the German Luftwaffe, with 80,000 casualties. Even during night-time black-outs the bomber navigators could easily identify their target due to the distinctive shape of the River Thames. The Nazis knew of the huge importance of the Port of London to Britain’s economy and therefore London’s docks were a key target. What is almost forgotten, indeed, was almost unknown at the time, was the work of Thames-Flood (the Thames-Flood Prevention Emergency Repairs service), the London County Council’s rapid response unit. London is low-lying, some of it below the level of the Thames at the highest tides. Furthermore, the metropolis has much infrastructure and accommodation below ground, including basements, the Underground system, much of the electricity and telephone network, and drinking water supplies and sewers. The river is held in check by embankments. If they were breached there would have been a catastrophe. The work of this organisation was essential in keeping the capital functional.

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MARCH 2025 MEETING

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Our March meeting is on Wednesday 19th March 2025 in the Church Hall, Butts Rd, SN4 0NN at 7.30 p.m. when the subject is “Nightmare at Scapa Flow” presented by Bob Rogers. The battleship HMS Royal Oak was lost in Scapa Flow, the ‘impregnable’ main anchorage of the Home Fleet, on the night of October 13–14, 1939. Scapa Flow was a very well defended anchorage with only seven entry points, four well defended and three undefended but blocked with sunken block ships. The German Navy thought there were many ships at anchor there and decided to attempt a raid. Royal Oak was attacked by submarine U47 and sank within 15 minutes with the loss of 833 from a crew of 1,234 men and boys. Bob will give us an account of the events leading up to and including the night of the sinking, illustrated with photographs and video accounts from some of the survivors. The wreck is now a designated war grave. In an annual ceremony marking the loss of the ship, Royal Navy divers place a White Ensign underwater at her stern.